Friday, August 19, 2011

Nationwide Forest Service Protests for San Francisco Peaks Protection

We hope you can help organize a demo at the Regional Forest Service office in your area. Please let us know. We may have other supporters in your area and can connect you.

NATION-WIDE Protests Planned at Forest Service Headquarters to Halt Sacred Site Desecration on the San Francisco Peaks

San Francisco Peaks clearcutting 2011/Protect the Peaks

Press statement

Greetings friends,
This is a call to see if anyone can organize protests at any of the 10 regional Forest Service Headquarters, including the main office in DC!
Even a few people holding banners outside FS offices would greatly help us put necessary national pressure on the Forest Service regarding the Holy San Francisco Peaks crisis, i.e. current clear-cutting and pipe-line construction in conjunction with Snowbowl ski resort's expansion and plans to make snow with treated wastewater.
It is also important to note that some of the regional foresters have good working relationships with Indigenous Nations and so please consider this when organizing.

Folks in the Flagstaff area have been very busy as Im sure you've heard. ( If you haven't heard, check out truesnow.org and www.IndigenousAction.org) Not only have 26 arrests been made so far in response to out efforts to stop desecration and eco-cide of the Peaks, but harassment and bogus citations are given to Peaks campers by USFS agents on a daily basis.

The goals of the protests are to:
1. To call for an immediate halt to desecration of the Holy San Francisco Peaks.
2. Call for the USDA to revoke the Special Use Permit for Arizona Snowbowl for greater public interest.
3. Draw attention and elicit comments for the U.S. Forest Service draft report (http://www.fs.fed.us/spf/tribalrelations/sacredsites) outlining its policies and procedures for protecting Sacred Sites.
4. Demonstrate nationwide support for protection of the Peaks and all Sacred Places!

We can provide a template news release for media contacts in your area.
We can also provide banner templates and tips (or send banners depending on the need).
Below is a sample call out from the already planned Albuquerque, NM protest.

Please email me at indigenousaction@gmail.com or protectpeaks@gmail.com if you can help organize a demonstration.
Please forward to your contacts who maybe able to help as well.

For some background please visit: www.IndigenousAction.org and www.TrueSnow.org.

Where: Southwestern Regional Forester Office
333 Broadway SE, Albuquerque, NM.Why: Since May 25, 2011, the owners of Arizona Snowbowl, with the support of the U.S. Forest Service and the Flagstaff City Council, have laid over five miles of a 14.8 mile wastewater pipeline and have clearcut over 40 acres of rare alpine forest on the Holy San Francisco Peaks in Northern, AZ.
The Peaks are Holy to more than 13 Indigenous Nations. They are a place of worship, a place where deities reside, a place where offerings are made, where herbs are gathered, where emergence has occurred, and a location where other sacred religious practices take place .
The USDA, the agency in charge of the Forest Service, has been holding hearings on protection of sacred places due in part to the Peaks controversy.
Urge the Forest Service's Regional Forester and USDA to immediately halt all Snowbowl development on the San Francisco Peaks!

The Forest Service and USDA can stop this desecration and eco-cide!

More info: TrueSnow.org
TAKE ACTION:

1. Contact the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Urge the USDA to immediately halt all development on the San Francisco Peaks!
The USDA heads the Forest Service. Urge them to revoke the Special Use Permit for Arizona Snowbowl for greater public interest.

Public comments can be sent to:
U.S. Forest Service
Office of Tribal Relations
1400 Independence Ave., SW
Mailstop Code: 1160
Washington, DC 20250-1160
Comments also may be submitted by fax to (202) 205-1773 or e-mail tosacredsitescomment@fs.fed.us.

3. Converge on the Mountain! Donate supplies!
Join an established base camp or start your own.
Supplies are also needed.
More info: www.truesnow.org

5. Contact Flagstaff City Officials and urge them to RESPECT the environment, Indigenous culture, and protect public health by finding a way out of their contract to sell Snowbowl wastewater!
PHONE: (928) 779-7600
EMAIL: council@flagstaffaz.gov

6. Write letters to your local papers about the issue.
Spread the message on your social networks.

Follow by Email

Search This Blog

About Censored News

Censored News is published by Brenda Norrell, a journalist in Indian country for 35 years. Norrell created Censored News after she was censored and terminated as a staff reporter at Indian Country Today in 2006. Norrell has been a journalist in Indian country for 35 years. She began as a reporter at Navajo Times during the 18 years that she lived on the Navajo Nation. She was a stringer for AP and USA Today and later traveled with the Zapatistas through Mexico. She has been blacklisted by all the paying media for 11 years. Now in its 11th year with more than 16 million page views, Censored News has no ads, grants or revenues. Contact brendanorrell@gmail.com

Censored News Copyright Notice

Copyrights of Censored News content are maintained by all writers, photographers and anyone whose work appears on Censored News. No content may be used without permission. No content may be used in any revenue scheme. Portions of photos may not be used without permission. brendanorrell@gmail.com

The Rose of Love

"O FRIEND! In the garden of thy heart plant naught but the rose of love, and from the nightingale of affection and desire loosen not thy hold." --Baha'u'llah, Baha'i Faith